So, after months of speculation in the media, and pressure by both supporters and donors over his age and declining health, Joe Biden announced that will not stand for re-election for a second term as President of the United States.
The decision could turn out to be a political fatal mistake by the Democratic party. His infamous opponent, Republican Donald Trump, is currently riding slightly ahead of him in the opinion polls, and ever since the failed assasination attempt earlier this month, many commentators and voters who were earlier critical have now switched to supporting him. Even news channels are hedging their virtual bets on Trump being re-elected for a second term at the White House in November.
So, where do the Democrats go from here? After his announcement, Biden swung his support towards endorsing his vice-president Kamala Harris. However this news was greeted with collective groans from all wings of the party. They didn’t want her to be initially picked for VP in the first place, and many commentators have criticised her performance in the role. The problem they have at this late stage is how would they be able to get a candidate capable of beating Trump.
The stakes are even higher not just for the US, but for the planet. Biden has supported backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion, however if re-elected Trump has repeatedly threatened, at least not immediately, to withdraw that support, leaving Europe at the mercy of Vladimir Putin, and bringing the threat of World War III even closer than at present. Domestically, Biden’s record as president is arguably better than any of his immediate predecessors, but some parts of his foreign policy, particularly for his support of the Israeli government’s actions against the Palestinian people, has offended many of his progressive voters. Indeed, many voters who backed him in 2020 have decided to either not vote or to back Trump instead.
The remaining months of the election campaign will see the Democrats scrambling in a desperate search to find somebody, anybody, in the hope of depriving the Republicans sweeping both the presidency and Congress. The whole planet is watching.